Peeling machine



V. E. BALLESTER. FEELING MACHINE. lPPL|CAT|0N FlLED MAY24, 1921.

1 ,41 5 ,76'6, Patented May 9, 1922.

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V. E. BALLESTER,

FEELING MACHlNE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24 1921.

1,41 5,766. Patented May 9, 1922.

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1,41 5,766. Patented May 9, 1922.

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Patented May 4 S H E ET S as r M V. E. BALLESTER.

FEELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24. 1921.

VINCENT EMILE BALLESTER, 0F BRUSSELS, BELGIUM.

PEELIN G MACHINE.

Application filed May 24, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VINCENT EMILE BAL- LESTER, a French citizen, residing at 1, 2 and 3 St. Gery, Brussels, Belgium, have invented certain. new and useful Improvement in Peeling Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The machine for peeling potatoes or the like, forming the subject of the present invention comprises a supporting platform which is composed of a plurality of rugged peg-topped or poppy headed rotary members arranged in such close proximity to each otherthat they su port the tubers and. act on them endwise. he invention further. comprises meansforrestraining displacing and turning the tubers on the said platform while in course of treatment, as well as means for delivering them after completion ofthe operation. i 1

In such a machine the rugged rotary members operate with their heads which present a circular configuration and a profile adapted to carry the tubers in such a way that they are subjected to the simultaneous act-ion of several of the said rugged members, upon which they accommodate themselves with their concave portions, while their projecting parts normally place themselves between these members. In other words the respective surfaces of the tubers and of the platform formed by the rugged members have a tendency to interengage, but, inasmuch as this tendency is impeded by the tubers being continuously displaced and turned over on the rugged surface it results that they are peeled over the whole of their surface with a minimum loss of substance.

The. accompanying drawings show, by

way of example one form of construction of a machine embodying the invention.

Figs. 1 and 2 are longitudinal elevations of opposite sides of the machine,

Fig. 3 is an end elevation with parts broken away and partly in section.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the machine with the hopper removed.

Fig. 5 is a plan of the frame of this machine showing thedriving gear of the agitation.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1922.

Serial No. 472,213.

Fig. 6 is a section along line AA of Fig. 3.

Fig.7 shows on an enlarged scale (one half in elevation and the other half in sect1on) a longitudinal central section of a composite part of the machine along line B-B of Fig. 8 and Fig. 8 the same part partly in elevation and partly in section along line C-C of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a sectional plan along line D--D of Fig. 7 and,

Fig. 10 is a plan of the same part, the coveringplate and the rugged rotary members being omitted in the left half of the drawing in order to show the arrangement of gearing.

In these drawings the frame of the machine is composed of two longitudinal members 11 connected by stays 12 and carrying three similarly constructed tray like structures 13.

Each of these trays 13 (see particularly Figs. 7 to 10) is provided with rows of bearings for the spindles 14; upon which are mounted the rugged rotary members 15. The spindles 14 of each transverse row are in en gagement through spur wheels 16 (Figs. 7, 8 and 10) mounted thereon and housed in a chamber 17 formed in the tray 13 and closed in at the top by the cover 18. The spindles 14: of the longitudinally central row extend through their bearings into a lower chamber 19 formed and closed by the covering plate 20, and carry each a worm wheel 21 I driven by corresponding worms 22 mounted on a shaft 23 journalled in the end walls of chamber 19 and which shaft carries on one of its ends one or more sprocket wheels 24 of a chain drive to be explained more particularly hereinafter.

WVhen the shaft 23 is rotated the worms 22 actuate the worm wheels 21 mounted on the centrally situated longitudinal row of spindles 14; of each tray 13 and each of these spindles imparts in turn its rotary motion by means of the gear wheels 16 to all the spin dles 14 of the respective transverse rows.

The chambers 17 and 19 may be filled with lubricant and in order to prevent waterfrom entering such chambers by way of the spindle bearings in the cover plate 18 caps are mounted on the spindles 14 in such a way that they overlap bosses provided on the cover plate. On each of these caps 25 is mounted a rugged member 15, two forms of such member being illustrated in the drawings.

Each of the trays 13 is provided with trunnions 26 arranged concentrically with the shafts 23 and journalled in bearings 27' shown in dotted lines.

. The shafts23 carrying the trays 13 and Worms 22 are supported beyond the sprocket wheels 24 in a bracket 33 secured to the frame 11 (Figs. 1, 3, 4) while outside of this bracket the shaft 23 of the central tray 13 carries keyed on to it the driving pulley 34 of the machine. This central shaft 23 carries three sprocket wheels 24. two of which transmit-motion by means of chains 35 to the shafts 23 situated at equal distances on both sides, while the third transmits motion through chain 36 to sprocket wheels 37 mounted on the shafts of two transverse rollers 38 (Figs. 2 and 3) 'journalled in brackets 39 rigidly secured. to the frame members 11' above the bearings 27 of trunnions 26 of the trays l3.

These rollers 38 which may also have a rugged surface are so arranged as to fill the gaps between adjoining trays and thereby ensure continuity of the platform.

A pinion 40 keyed on one of the shafts 23 (shown in Fig. 6 to be the one on the right hand side) drives the spur wheel 41 which is co-axial with and connected to pinion 42 meshing with spur wheel 43. I c

. A connecting rod 45 is eccentrieally attached at 44 to the spur wheel 43 and imparts oscillating motion to a lever 46 connected to. it, as well as to a transverse shaft 47 upon which the lever 46 is rigidly mounted. The shaft 47 is journalled in bearings 48 secured to the two members 11 of the frame and provided on the outside of said bearings with arms 49 constituting with the arm 46 a double lever, so that in their rockmg motion the arms 49 impart by means of two connecting rods 50 a longitudinally reciprocating motiontotwo longitudinal bearers 52 attached .thereto'at 51 and carried on rollers 53 along guides 39. These longitndinal bearers 52 carry transversely mount- I cause them to be turned over.

ed upon them combs 54 the teeth of which are downwardly inclined in both directions, forming a ridge and protrude into the spaces between the several longitudinal rows of rugged rotary members so that in their reciprocating movements they displace the tubers and by engaging them from beneath Fig. 6 shows the combs in their extreme left position and it will be readily understood that the three combs when being moved towards the right will remain at the same distance one from the other so that each operates over a predetermined length of the machine.

Above the machine is arranged a hopper of sheet iron comprising the sides 55 and the cover 56. The sides are held apart by stays 57 which carry two iron shields 58 for the purpose of protecting the mechanism of the machine and more particularly the bearings and trunnions from contact with the water used for washing the tubers during the-operation and supplied through a system of tubes 59 which are perforated in such a way that the water sprays are directed downwardly.

A shoot 60 is arranged under the machine into which the peeled tubers are delivered as will be explained hereinafter.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

Through the hopper a layer of potatoes or other tubers, apples or other fruit, or other like articles which it may be desired to'peel, is introduced and distributed over the platform formed by the rugged rotary members 15, water is turned on through the tubes 59 if required. Pull y 34 is now set into motion either by a crank handle (not shown) or by power, this causes the central shaft 23 to be rotated while the other two shafts 23 are driven by the chains 35 and sprocket wheels 24, so that all the rugged members 15 arranged in the three trays 13 are caused to revolve, while the chain drive 36, 37 drives the rollers 38. Simultaneously the pinion 40 through the train of gear wheels 41, 42, 43 and connecting rod. 45 causes the rocking motion of lever 46 with shafts 47 and its two arms 49, which in turn by means of connecting rods 50 imparts reciprocating motion to the longitudinal. bearers 52 which are carried on their rollers 53 along the guides 39. The combs 54, arranged trarisversely to the bearers 52 take part in this reciprocating movement and displace and turn over the potatoes which are kept on th platform by the sides 55 of the hopper. TV hen the potatoes are completely peeled, lever 31 is swung along the quadrant 32 from the position shown by full lines (Fig. 2) into the position shown by dotted lines, whereby the three trays 13 will be swung about their trunnions 26 and empty the tubers into the shoot 60 from whence they are directed into any conveniently arranged receptacle. The WOIkil'ig position of trays 13 is afterwards reestablished by swinging lever 31 back into the position shown by full lines and the whole performance is repeated.

The invention is not limited to the form, proportions, arrangements or details of construction to the'machine which is illustrated by way of example only in the accompanying drawings nor is it limited to the kind of articles to be treated mentioned hereinbefore.

It is indeed conceivable that any person conversant with the art of mechanical design could easily devise modifications of the construction hereinbefore given as an example and that the invention is susceptible to an infinite number of possibilities as regards realization, all of which must be considered to be within the scope of the present invention, provided that they provide a suitable support for supporting tubers Or the like which are composed of rugged rotary members which. operate endwise and are so arranged that the surface of the potatoes may interengage between them.

Such a supporting surface might for instance have the operating members arranged at varying levels, it might be inclined or it might be of an endless type.

In the latter case the machine might for example be designed in such a way that the supporting surface is in the form of an mclined drum, the rugged rotary members being mounted within an inclined cylindrical wall, and turned inwardly, by revolving the inclined drum under say similar conditions as in a rotary concrete mixer, and by establishino; the rugged rotary members in such a way that their rotation is controlled by the rotations of the drum for example by a crown wheel or a stationary toothed member concentric with the drum and engaging with pinions carried by the spindles of the rugged rotary members. Such an arrangement would produce a continuously working machine in which tubers or the like fed continuously into the drum would be displaced on the supporting surface by the rotation of the drum, travel down in it in the course of treatment and be automatically discharged at the lower end, when completely peeled.

The varying requirements, such as length, inclination and speed of the drum as well as speed and direction of rotation of the rugged rotary members would have to be experimentally determined, preferably with a View to the article it is desired to peel.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. A machine for peeling potatoes and like articles comprising a support for the articles to be peeled constituted by a plurality of rotary abrading members or scrapers upon and between Which the potatoes rest and means for rotating said members substantially as described.

2. A machine for peeling potatoes and like articles comprisiiin a support for the articles to be peeled constituted by a plurality oi? rotary abrading members or scrapers upon and between which the potatoes rest, means lfor turning the articles while on the rotary members and means for rotating said members substantially as described.

A machine for peeling potatoes and like articles comprising a support for the articles to be peeled constituted by a plurality of rotary .abradinp; members or scrapers upon and between which the potatoes rest, means for turning the articles while on the rotary members said. means extending between and below the level of the rotary members and means for rotating said members substantially as described.

4. A machine for peeling potatoes and like articles comprising a pivoted platform,

a series of rotary abrading members or scrapers extending upward from said platform, means for rotating said members, and means for tilting the platform substantially as described.

5. 'A machine for peeling potatoes and like articles comprising a pivoted platform, series of rotary abrading members or scrapers extending upward :trom said platform, means for tilting the articles when on the rotary abrading members, means for rotating said members and means for tilting;

the platform substantially as describes.

6. A machine for peeling potatoes and like articles comprising a series of pivoted platforms, series oil rotary abrading members or scrapers extending; upwards from said platform, means common to all the plat forms for rotating said members, means for tilting the platforms and a single control member for tilting all the platforms simultaneously.

7. A machine for peeling; potatoes and like articles comprising a series of pivoted platforms, series of rotary abrading members or scrapers extending upwards from said platforms, cylindrical members filling the space between and on a level with the rotary scrapers of two adjoining; platforms and means for rotating said series of rotary scrapers and their cylindrical member, subst-antially as described.

8. A machine for peeling potatoes and like articles comprising a support for the articles consisting of series of rotary menr bers having scraper surfaces, means for retating said members, turning members adapted to work between the rotary members and means for traversing said turning members back and forth, substantially as described.

9. A machine for peeling potatoes and members back and forth, substantially as described.

Intestimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

VINCENT EMILE BALLESTER. Witnesses P. DEszUIN, E. EVENEPOEL. 

